“In five years I don’t think there’ll be a reason to have a tablet anymore,” said BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins while being interviewed at the Milken Institute conference. “Maybe a big screen in your workspace, but not a tablet as such. Tablets themselves are not a good business model.”

Companies like Apple would definitely disagree with the last statement; iPad sales have been growing ever since its introduction in 2010. In addition, the iPad (along with the iPhone) are bringing in the majority of the profits for Apple while its iPod and Mac product lines have played a back seat role.

Microsoft is also betting big on tablets as witnessed by its Surface and Surface Pro tablets (although Microsoft is finding out that breaking into an Apple/Google-dominated market is tough work).

It's pretty easy to see why Heins is pessimistic about tablets due to the abject failure of its 7" PlayBook, but to decry the failure of the entire tablet market seems a bit premature.

So does Thorstein Heins have a magic 8-ball that is accurately predicting the future, or do you think that he is downplaying the importance of the tablet form-factor until BlackBerry can launch a credible entry?

I'm not sure why the parent got so downvoted. He is right, there is nothing in the article explaining why the RIM CEO holds the opinion he does. All it says is that he thinks it is not a good business model. People seem eager to throw stones based on the headline, but I'd rather have an article with a bit more substance before passing judgement.

Its easy. Blackberry sucks at tablets. They killed their tablet. Thorsten made them kill it. Therefore tablets are not something that will be used in 5 years (when the last RIM tablet dies from old age).

Oh yeah, he is speaking strictly of Blackberry tablets. Tablets are not a good business model for Blackberry. If they ever get good at tablets, then suddenly it will become a good business model again (for Blackberry).

Meanwhile, an avoidable blunder in the smartphone and tablet age has consigned them to a footnote in history 5 years from now.